Wherever you are, some part of the natural environment is close-by.

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Nature is in and across all communities from remote rural areas to townships to dense cities. Even in the most built-up areas, you can find nature. Look. Listen. Notice the wind and sun on your skin, plants, insects, birds, landscapes and the sky. If you are inside, look out. 

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Look for nature where you live, travel, work, play or go to school.

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Wherever you are in South Africa, start your nature journaling journey at home or in a familiar place. If you live in a flat or complex, spend time in the courtyard or flowers beds, look for birds and bugs. If your home or school has a vegetable garden, explore the life in and around it. Many neighbourhoods have parks or public gardens.

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There are a vast number of nature-rich, protected spaces throughout the country: national botanical gardens, nature reserves and game reserves. 

 

Explore the wildlife sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres close to you. We list some below for KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. We want to expand this list. Please send us your suggestions!

 

Seek shelter and comfort indoors, when it is too hot, too cold, too windy or unpleasant outdoors. We added suggestions for indoor nature spaces in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng. 

 

We continue to gather content to expand these lists. At the moment, we have the following information to share with you.

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Parks and Gardens

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Parks and gardens provide green spaces in urban areas. Gardens often have set times for opening and closing. Parks are usually open at all times. However, it may be unsafe to visit parks in the early morning, late afternoon and evening. If a park looks neglected, or if you feel unsafe, move to one of the many other options.

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The condition of parks and gardens change over time. Only you can assess the safety of a place. Only you know your own risk comfort zone. 

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Whether or not a place is suitable for nature journaling depends on you. What do you need? Do you need quiet, calm and a break for crowds and bustle? Does music or people playing ball unsettle your concentration on nature?

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Many parks and gardens have peak periods of human activity: weekend afternoons, school holidays, public holidays, etc. Popular public spaces may host events such as concerts, sporting events, walking or bike challenges. Other places are in the midst of vibrant surroundings. This means that they are busy, noisy, and the air quality may be poor.  

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If you can, check before you go. If you do not feel at ease when you arrive, find another spot. 

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In and Around Durban

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• Bulwer Park

• Durban Botanical Gardens 

• Gugu Dlamini Park

• (Robert) Jameson Park

• Japanese Gardens

• Medwood Gardens

• Mitchell Park

• Muckleneuk Garden

• Old Fort Garden

• People's Park

• Scouts Bowl and Woodlands Park

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In and around Pietermaritzburg

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• National Botanical Garden, KwaZulu-Natal

• Rosehurst Garden

• Wylie Park

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Nature Reserves and Protected Areas

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In and around Durban

• Alverstone Environmental Refuge, Assagay

• Amanzimtoti Bird Sanctuary, Amanzimtoti

• Beachwood Mangroves, Durban North

• Bluff (Happy Valley) Nature Reserve, Bluff

• Burman Bush, Durban North

• Clive Cheesman Nature Reserve, Kloof

• Giba Gorge, Gillitts

• Glenholme Nature Reserve, Gillitts

• Hawaan Forest, Umhlanga

• Ilanda Wilds Nature Trail, Amanzimtoti

• Inanda Resources Reserve, Hillcrest 

• Iphithi Nature Reserve, Gillitts

• Jubilee Park, Westville

• Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve, Yellowwood Park

• Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, Kloof

• Madwala Wildlife Sanctuary, Botha's Hill

• Mariannwood Nature Reserve, Pinetown

• Mount Moreland Conservancy, near Verulam

• Msinsi Nature Reserve, Glenwood

• New Germany Nature Reserve, Pinetown

• North Park Nature Reserve, Queensburgh

• Palmiet Nature Reserve, Westville

• Paradise Valley Nature Reserve, Pinetown

• Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve, Glenwood

• Roosfontein Nature Reserve, between Dawncliff and Chesterville Extension

• Shongweni Dam and Resources Reserve, Shongweni

• Silverglen Nature Reserve and Indigenous Medicinal Nursery, Chatsworth

• Springside Nature Reserve, Hillcrest

• Tanglewood Farm Nature Reserve, Pinetown

• Treasure Beach, Bluff

• Umbogavango Nature Reserve, Amanzimtoti

• Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve, Umhlanga

• Virginia Bush, Durban North

• WCC Eco-Trail, Westville

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In and Around Pietermaritzburg and Midlands

• Bisley Valley Nature Reserve, near Pietermaritzburg

• Bushwillow Park, Karkloof

• Cumberland Natural Heritage Site, near Pietermaritzburg

• Dargle Conservancy Nature Reserve, Dargle

• Darvill Resources Park, Pietermaritzburg 

• Ferncliffe Forest Nature Reserve, Pietermaritzburg 

• Highover Wildlife Sanctuary, Hele Hele (Hella Hella) 

• ​Hilton College Nature Reserve, Hilton

• Hlabeni Park Caravan Resort, Creighton 

• Karkloof Conservation Centre, Karkloof

• KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Gardens, Pietermaritzburg

• Mhlopeni Nature Reserve, Muden 

• Midmar Dam and Nature Reserve, near Howick and Mphophomeni

• Tala Game Reserve, Camperdown 

• Umngeni Valley Nature Reserve, Howick

• Virginia Farm & Wingfield Nature Reserve, Eston

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KwaZulu-Natal, Southern Regions

• Mpenjati Reserve, 20 km south of Margate

• Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, 25 km inland from Port Shepstone

• Oribi Vulture Viewing Hide, close to Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve 

• Red Desert Nature Conservation Area, near Margate

• TC Robertson, Scottburgh

• Twinstreams, Mtunzini

• Umlalazi Nature Reserve  Mtunzini

• Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, near Port Edward

• Uvongo River Valley Nature Reserve, Uvongo

• Vernon Crookes Reserve, inland from Scottburgh 

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KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Regions

• Amatikulu Nature Reserve, between KwaDukuza (formerly Stanger) and Mtunizini

• Harold Johnson Nature Reserve, KwaDukuza (formerly Stanger)

• Ndumo Game Reserve, near border with Mozambique

• Ongoye Forest Nature Reserve, very special for wildlife and geology

• Stanger SAPPI Bird Hide, KwaDukuza (formerly Stanger)

• Umlalazi Nature Reserve, along coast by Mtunzini 

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KwaZulu-Natal, Drakensberg

• Glengarry Resort, Kamberg

• Highmoor, in central Maloti-Drakensberg Park

• Hlatikulu Crane Foundation, Kamberg

• Sani Pass between KZN and Lesotho

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Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rehabilitation Centres

KwaZulu-Natal

   Ballito

• Monkeyland KZN

 

  Durban

• CROW (Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife)

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   Between Durban and Pietermaritzburg

• African Raptor Centre

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  Pietermaritzburg

• Ishona Langa Wildlife Sanctuary

 

  Port Edward​

• Crag’s View Wild Care Centre

 

Western Cape

  Cape Town - Southern Suburbs

• Alphen Trail Walk

• Arderne Gardens

• Cecilia Forest

• Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area

• Keurboom Park

• Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

• Kirstenhof Wetland Walk

• Newlands Forest

• Rondebosch Commons

• Rondevlei Nature Reserve

• Silvermines Nature Reserve

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  Cape Town - Northern Suburbs

• Blaauberg Coastal Walk

• Intaka Island

• Majik Forest Conservation Area

• Mamre Nature Garden

• Reitvlei Wetland Reserve

• Tygerberg Nature Reserve

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  West Coast

• Bird Island Nature Reserve - in Lambert's Bay

• !Khwa ttu Nature Reserve - near West Coast National Park

• Tienie Versveld Reserve - near Darling

• West Coast Fossil Park - near Langebaan

• West Coast National Park

• Yzerfontein 16 mile Beach - near Langebaan

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Overberg  

• Harold Porter Botanical Gardens - Betty's Bay

• Greyton Nature Reserve - Greyton

 

Plettenberg Bay

• Monkeyland - free roaming sanctuary for rescued primates 

• Birds of Eden - permanent, free-flight home for previously caged bird

 

Winelands

• Exotic Animal World - in Klapmuts. 

      It was Butterfly World but does not have butterflies any longer.

      They have moved entirely to caring for rescued and surrendered exotic ex-pets. 

• Pink Geranium - in Klapmuts. This is a nursery with a coffee shop

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Indoor Nature Spaces for Rainy Days

KwaZulu-Natal

  Durban

• Durban Natural History Museum

• Geology Education Museum

• Shark Museum

• uShaka Marine World

 

  Ramsgate

• Butterfly Farm 

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Western Cape

   Cape Town

• Two Oceans Aquarium 

• The Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome

• The Iziko Marine Exhibits: World of Water, Shark World, Whales and Dolphins, Living Coelacanth, marine biology,  and other natural history exhibits including invertebrates and terrestrial vertebrates 

 

  Klapmuts near Paarl

• Butterfly World

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Gauteng

• Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Tswane (Pretoria)

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Webcams to View Wildlife and Wildness from Home

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Webcams are cameras used with computers for video streaming from the internet. You need high-speed internet to view live webcams. Webcam viewing uses large amounts of bandwidth like streaming any video. Webcams are used in nature settings so that sites can be viewed at any time without having to have a person present. This also allows you to view wildlife behaving naturally. This type of viewing is used in research as well as for enjoyment. It is a great option for nature journaling from home.

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This list contains webcams that we have found. Most of the webcams listed below are in South Africa, with some in Botswana and up the east coast in Kenya.

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KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

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• Tembe Elephant Park Tembe National Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal bordering Mozambique. It is also the ancestral home of the Tembe people, who co-own and manage Tembe Elephant Park Lodge. The webcam is live-streamed on the Tembe Elephant Park's webcam and also on Africam

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Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

• Addo Elephant National Park – still and continuous streaming by South African National Parks

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Gauteng Province, South Africa

• Black Eagle webcam, Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden. The mountainous area where they nest each year is under threat of urban development. Visit the website to sign the petition to protect the area.

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